Message 12131 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

Share on Facebook |  Save to del.icio.us

> Can you explain what this exactly entails?  Im completely baffled by 
> it.

OK, I finally have a little time so I am going to try to answer some of these 
questions, and try to write for the whole board while doing it.

I think that when it comes to money changing hands for a product or service, 
there is always a need by some people to feel above others in some way. There 
is an older thread here where people are discussing why American blacks order 
expensive booze and mix it with Coke or some such, and ended with posts about 
Asians who are gaining additional access to money doing the same thing. For 
those who have had money for generations, they will often ask for elaborate 
and expensive rituals to separate them from the masses.

Think about the Bentley and Rolls sales programs. Customers are encouraged to 
come to the factory and pick out colors and interiors. Flying to Coventry is 
an expense for the customer and an expense for the factory, but it is one the 
customer enjoys paying. MB and BMW have factory delivery programs to achieve 
the same thing. It is all about being more sophisticated and better than the 
Cadillac and Lincoln buyer, and people eat it up. Yet some will still buy 
these products without the fal-de-rah. I've got a pretty nice BMW, a Z8, and I 
have owned an 02 M roadster and an MB AMG, and I never even thought about 
going to the factory to take delivery. I am not after exclusivity, but simply 
the speed, handling and looks the vehicles deliver. So, these manufacturers 
have found a way to market to both the serious users and to those who simply 
want the experience the brands have set up to deliver.

Similarly, some of us on the board actually enjoy the taste of some of the 
expensive booze that others are mixing with coke or some such because they 
don't like the flavor, but, do like the exclusivity they think the product 
conveys. The same holds true in food service. How many people actually like 
caviar, or, can tell and enjoy the difference between the cheap stuff and the 
expensive stuff? I suspect that far more people consume the expensive stuff, 
not because they enjoy it from the taste experience, but because they enjoy 
the feeling of exclusiveness it gives. Some who have the money have tasted it 
once and once was enough because their dislike of it was stronger than their 
need to feel exclusive, and, no one is going to mix it with mayo.

People who have had money for all or most of their life, or whose families 
have had it for generations are harder to sell to with simply an exclusionary 
price tag, so other ways have to be found that will make them happy. New money 
will buy expensive designer clothing while older money goes to tailors who 
only a limited number of people even know. Now, custom made clothing, when 
done right, makes more sense than buying a shirt or blouse or suit that may or 
may not fit right from a famous designer, but do any of us need to spend $300 
or more on a shirt or blouse? (That hurt to say that.) 

Back to club service. Old money wants a way to feel exclusive that is not 
easily duplicated. The very nature of club service makes it expensive. To do 
it well means hiring someone who has some education and breeding to learn and 
perform the process, who is also willing to assume the role. That is going to 
cost the establishment big time. 99% of of all college students would be 
eliminated as would 80% of those without some college experience. The 
available labor pool is very small, which means people have to be paid more in 
the beginning and paid even more to make sure they stay put later on. 
Considerable time and money have to be invested in training these limited 
number of people in the exacting details of club service. On top of that, 
where a nightclub tender can pour 100 drinks an hour, a tender involved in 
club service maxs out at 35 behind the wood, and even less if he provides 
tableside service.

The reasons some tenders would want to do it are obvious. They are very well 
paid, often getting a variety of fringe benefits not available in most bars. 
They can take pride in being trained in, and  delivering a level of service 
far beyond what most tenders can even imagine. While the role in front of the 
guests is one thing, they are both valued and respected by management. There 
is very little though that they are expendable if they are doing their job 
correctly.

The reasons most tenders wouldn't want to do it are also obvious. This is an 
exacting job with little room for error. The personality displayed is a role 
where little or no individualism is acceptable, and the role is subservient to 
the guest in all things. Think of an English butler or a gentleman's gentleman 
and you would be on the correct track.

How is it done? It is a complex ritual for presenting a guest's libation that 
follows a number of steps that are as orchestrated as a dance routine, 
involving the use of props not normally seen in bars. Following the other 
posts being written here will help explain it.

Chance